Industry Research and Development (Diversity in STEM Programs) Instrument 2024

I, Ed Husic, Minister for Industry and Science, make the following instrument.

Dated: 21 November 2024

Ed Husic

Minister for Industry and Science

Contents

1  Name

2  Commencement

3  Authority

4  Schedules

5  Definitions

5  Prescribed programs

6  Specified legislative power

1  Name

  This instrument is the Industry Research and Development (Diversity in STEM Programs) Instrument 2024.  

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

 (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under section 33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.

4  Schedules

  Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

1.       Definitions

In this instrument:

Act means the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.

Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women means the Convention of that name done at New York on 18 December 1979, as in force for Australia from time to time.

Note:  The Convention is in Australian Treaty Series 1983 No. 9 ([1983] ATS 9) and could in 2024 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities means the Convention of that name done at New York on 13 December 2006, as in force for Australia from time to time.

Note:  The Convention is in Australian Treaty Series 2008 No. 12 ([2008] ATS 12) and could in 2024 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).

Convention on the Rights of the Child means the Convention of that name done at New York on 20 November 1989, as in force for Australia from time to time.

Note:  The Convention is in Australian Treaty Series 1991 No. 4 ([1991] ATS 4) and could in 2024 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).

International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination means the Convention of that name done at New York on 21 December 1965, as in force for Australia from time to time.

Note:  The Convention is in Australian Treaty Series 1975 No. 40 ([1975] ATS 40) and could in 2024 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights means the Covenant of that name done at New York on 16 December 1966, as in force for Australia from time to time.

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights means the Covenant of that name done at New York on 16 December 1966, as in force for Australia from time to time.

International Labour Organization’s Convention Concerning Employment Policy means the Convention of that name done at Geneva on 9 July 1964, as in force for Australia from time to time.

Note:  The Convention is in Australian Treaty Series 1970 No. 17 ([1970] ATS 17) and could in 2024 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).

International Labour Organization’s Convention Concerning Vocational Guidance and Vocational Training in the Development of Human Resources means the Convention of that name done at Geneva on 23 June 1975, as in force for Australia from time to time.

Note:  The Convention is in Australian Treaty Series 1986 No. 2 ([1986] ATS 2) and could in 2024 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).

STEM means science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Underrepresented cohorts include the following cohorts:

1.     girls and women;
2.     First Nations peoples;
3.     people living with disabilities;
4.     people facing age-based discrimination;
5.     culturally and linguistically diverse people;
6.      people with low socioeconomic status;
7.     LGBTQIA+ people (including non-binary and gender-diverse people);
8.     neurodivergent people; and
9.      people living in regional and remote areas.

5  Prescribed programs

 (1) For the purposes of subsection 33(1) of the Act, the following programs are prescribed:

  (a) the Diversity in STEM Toolkit program (the DIST program);  

  (b) the Elevate: Boosting Diversity in STEM program (the Elevate program);

  (c) the Australian Diversity in Science Accreditation Framework program (the ADSAF program);

  (d) the Superstars of STEM program.

 (2) The DIST program provides funding for the provision of education and resources in respect of STEM study and careers to assist school-aged people from underrepresented cohorts.

 (3)  The Elevate program provides scholarships for women and non-binary people to undertake full-time or part-time higher education in STEM.

 (4)  The ADSAF program provides funding for an accreditation framework and training to encourage STEM employers to advance measures that promote gender equity and diversity, and other measures that promote the inclusion of underrepresented cohorts. It will be delivered as the Science in Australia Gender and Equity (SAGE) project.

 (5)  The Superstars of STEM program provides funding for training, mentorship, profile-raising and networking opportunities for people from underrepresented cohorts working in the STEM field.

 (6)  The purposes of the DIST program, the Elevate program, the ADSAF program and the Superstars of STEM program are:

1.     to provide people from underrepresented cohorts with vocational information, education or guidance in relation to opportunities in STEM; and
2.     to support and encourage people from underrepresented cohorts to pursue employment and study opportunities in STEM; and
3.     to increase diversity and inclusion, promote equal opportunities for, and reduce discrimination against, people from underrepresented cohorts in STEM; and
4.     to address barriers and disadvantage that First Nations peoples face in relation to study and employment in STEM; and
5.     for the Elevate program only: to provide material aid to STEM students from underrepresented cohorts.

1.         Specified legislative power

  For the purposes of subsection 33(3) of the Act, the powers of the Parliament to make laws with respect to the following are specified:

1.     naturalisation and aliens (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xix) of the Constitution);
2.     the provision of benefits to students (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xxiiiA) of the Constitution);
3.     people of any race for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xxvi) of the Constitution);
4.     external affairs (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xxix) of the Constitution), as it relates to measures to give effect to Australia’s obligations under one or more of the following:

1.                   the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, particularly Articles 2, 3, 10 and 11;
2.                the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly Article 27(1);
3.              the Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly Articles 28(1) and 29(1);
4.               the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, particularly Articles 2(1) and 7;
5.                 the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly Article 26;
6.               the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, particularly Articles 2 and 6(2);
7.             the International Labour Organization’s Convention Concerning Employment Policy, particularly Article 1;
8.           the International Labour Organization’s Convention Concerning Vocational Guidance and Vocational Training in the Development of Human Resources, particularly Articles 1-4;

1.     the government of a Territory (within the meaning of section 122 of the Constitution).